Week of July 4 Giveaway: How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck

We all
know that video is the next big thing for bloggers. The bloggers
who really know how to shoot video will always be at a distinct
advantage over those who don't. And those who know how to really
use video to tell stories will always win out over those who
don't. How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck by
Steve Stockman will help you drastically improve your video taking
skills.

· Think in Shots: Short, 5 second shots show us a lot, and keep
others from being incredibly bored. · Shoot at their level. Don’t
shoot down at them, be with them. Much more interesting.

· Don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes. You want
memories...and kid’s lives are told through their faces. If you
miss their eyes, you’re missing detail you’ll want later.

· Keep the video short. Your mother loves your kids, but if
she’s bored, she’s just like you. It’s only one click from your
link to Family Guy.

· Misbehavior is more watchable than good behavior. Which story do
you tell: the night you were eight and sat down to a polite dinner,
or the night your dad told a joke and your sister laughed so hard
milk came out her nose? Shoot first, ask questions later.

· Use interviews. Kids say the darndest things, and all that.

How to Shoot Vacation Video
that Doesn’t Suck

· Keep your shots short: You don’t want to have to live your
vacation again in real time.

· Think before you shoot: If it’s not interesting (or not a good
shot) don’t bother.

· People are more interesting than scenery: Have the scenery behind
them by all means, but what you’ll want to remember in 10 years is
your family and friends.

· Adding a story to you video kicks it to the next level: Tell that
trip to Europe from your husband’s “first time out of the country”
perspective and it will be much more interesting. At Disneyland?
Don’t think “Billy in front of the castle.” Think “Billy being
excited/worried about meeting Mickey.”

I'm just about to celebrate my 1st Blogoversary, so this would definitely be a wonderful prize to win. I'll be attending my first two social media conferences that are coming up real soon: BlissdomCanada2011, and She Speaks Conference Toronto ... it would be nice to use this prize at these two conferences!

I've attempted a few vlogs and it has not been pretty. I keep telling myself the more I do them the better they will get. Well... I guess I need to keep at it because they dont seem to be getting much better yet.